Hawaiian BBQ Salmon Burgers with Coconut Caramelized Pineapple

Prepare for a Hawaiian salmon burger photo overload.

I just got too excited.

Too excited about these salmon burgers.

Too excited about the coconut caramelized pineapple I put on these burgers.

Too excited about the Hawaiian BBQ sauce dripping down the burger.

Can you guys tell, I get really, really excited about things.

And when I say things, what I really mean is food. Especially pretty food on pretty things. I also get way too excited about an empty house, a clean house, flowers and ah… lists.

Yeah, I love lists.

Although, lately my list making abilities have been highly sub-par

Meaning I actually have not made a list in a month and trust me, my life has been a scattered mess the past thirty days without them. I must get back to my list making. I am seriously craving a really good list.

Oh, and none of the people I am feeding like good food.

With the exception of my dad, and sort of my mom – remember she doesn’t like any fish or seafood. But my dad is only one person and he doesn’t need to eat all that much.

The hungry must eat all the time, they must eat mass amounts, and none of it can have anything to do with seafood, fruit or vegetables. Pastas can only have cheese or butter. Pizzas, only cheese and sauce. Even chicken with anything other than smashed potato chips all over it, is highly suspect to them.

Yeah, you see what I am dealing with here? It is torture. Ninty five percent of the dinners I make, I also have to make a separate dinner for the boys.

It sinks.

Especially since they are missing out like crazy.

 But if you too are not into seafood or salmon, you can definitely do this with chicken and it still tastes great.

But the salmon is better… in my opinion at least.

Plus, look at that pretty pink color.

I love it.

The fresh copper river salmon that is in the store right now is just insane.

Insanely pretty.

Insanely good.

It’s just insane!

Kind of like the amount of photos in this post.

Sorry.

I just could not choose. Choosing is way too hard. No, more like impossible.

I honestly cannot do it.

So, I just gave you a boatload of them.

Hope you don’t mind.

Oh and just a FYI, I am in a pineapple phase right now. I cut up three over the weekend. Yes, three. I really hope you guys are into pineapple. If not, I promise some more pasta and chocolate and creamy things soon.

It’s all gonna be so good.

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup of your favorite bbq sauce
• 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• pinch of cayenne
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 pound fresh, raw salmon (skin removed)
• 1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 4 slices swiss cheese
• pickeled jalopenos (optional)
• 4 king hawaiian hamburger buns or whole wheat buns, toasted
• 1 avocado, sliced or mashed (optional)
• lettuce
Coconut Caramelized Pineapple
• 2 tablespoon coconut oil
• 4 large pineapple rings (preferably from a fresh pineapple)
• 2 tablespoon toasted coconut (optional)

Instructions

1. In a small bowl combine the BBQ sauce, pineapple juice, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Set aside for later.
2. Add salmon to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until it’s somewhat ground. You can also chop the salmon very finely with a sharp knife.
3. Remove and add salmon to a bowl with the panko bread crumbs, parmesan and 2 tablespoons of the hawaiian BBQ sauce from step 1 (save the rest for serving) and mix with a spoon until just combined. Form into 4 equally sized burgers. Heat a skillet (or grill) over medium-high heat with a tablespoon of coconut oil. Cook burgers on each side until golden, about 3-4 minutes per side. During the last minute of cooking add the swiss cheese and the jalapeños, if using.
4. In a separate skillet heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and place the pineapple slices in the pan. Cook for about 3-4 mins, flip and cook another 3-4 minutes.
5. To assemble place a piece of lettuce on the bottom of a bun, then the burger, mashed or sliced avocado and a ring of pineapple. Drizzle each burger with the remaining Hawaiian BBQ sauc

Hawaiian BBQ Quesadillas with Pineapple-Mango Guacamole

It’s time.

Time to break out the hula skirts, grab a lay and most definitely a fruity drink, one preferably with those cute little umbrellas and a slice of pineapple sitting on the rim.

Oh yes, today we are doing Hawaiian, and if we are doing Hawaiian we might as well just go all out!

Cause really, it’s Wednesday and Wednesday needs some cheering up, some fun – some pineapple, some avocado and definitely some cheese. Fun makes a sunday better, way better, trust me.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Serving Size: 4 burrito sized quesadillas

Ingredients

• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast
• 4 whole wheat flour tortillas (burrito size)
• 1/2 an onion
• 1/3 whole fresh pineapple - peeled, cored, and sliced
• 1/2 cup of your favorite BBQ sauce
• 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 cup cooked white or brown rice
• 1/2 cup pickled jalapeños (optional)
• 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese
Pineapple Mango Guacamole
• 2 avocados, peeled, pitted and mashed
• 1/4 whole fresh pineapple - peeled, cored, and diced
• 1/2 mango - peeled, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, diced
• 3 green onions, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 tablespoon pineapple juice
• salt and pepper, taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the grill to medium high heat.
2. In a small bowl combine the BBQ sauce, pineapple juice, lime juice, cilantro, salt and pepper and mix well to combine.
3. Toss the chicken with half of the BBQ sauce. Grill the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes per side or until cooked through. At the same time grill the slices of pineapple and the half of an onion for about 4 minutes per side or until charred. Allow everything to to cool five minutes and then chop the pineapple into bite size pieces, dice the onion and chop the chicken or shred with a fork. Set aside.
4. While the chicken is cooling make the pineapple-mango guacamole. Mash the avocados (I left mine pretty chunky, but go as chunky or smooth as you want) in a medium size bowl. Add the pineapple, mango, tomatoes, green onions, cilantro, lime juice and pineapple juice. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper.
5. Heat an electric griddle or skillet over medium heat. Add a bit of olive oil.
6. One at a time, place a tortilla down in the skillet, cover with a bit of the cheese, then evenly distribute the rice on top. Add the diced chicken, pineapple and onions. Then add the pickled jalapeños and sprinkle with a little more cheese. Repeat with 3 more tortillas. Place one of the tortillas with the toppings back on the griddle or skillet, then cover with a plain tortilla. Cook until the bottom is crispy and golden brown, then gently flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes until crispy and golden. Repeat with the other 3 topping filled tortillas. Serve with the remaining BBQ sauce the the Pineapple-Mango Guacamole.

Caribbean Coconut Crusted Salmon

Ingredients

• 1.25 cups of shredded, unsweetened coconut
• 4 x 6 oz salmon filets, skin removed
• Salt and pepper

Methods

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.  Put coconut into a freezer bag.
3.  Drop in the salmon filets one at a time and toss to coat.
4.  Place on a lightly oiled baking sheet and season with salt and pepper.
5.  Bake for 15 minutes.
6.  Serve with Caribbean Salsa.

Chunky Coconut, Tomato, Cucumber And Lime Relish

Ingredients

• 16 cherry tomatoes, quartered, or, roughly, chopped
• 1/2 fresh coconut, grated, or shaved
• 1 small handful basil or coriander, roughly, chopped6-inch cucumber, skinned, seeds removed, roughly, chopped
• 1 thinly sliced red chili (optional)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper1 lime, juiced

Methods

1. Put the tomatoes, coconut, basil, cucumbers and chili, if using, into a bowl and toss.
2.  Just before serving, toss in the olive oil, salt, pepper and lime juice to taste

Resepi Kambing Golek

*BAHAN 'A' ;

          -Seekor kambing (anggaran berat 15kg)
          -Rosmary segar;
          -Serbuk bawang putih;
          -minyak zaitun;
          -Jus lemon;
          -Serbuk lada hitam;
          -Garam;
          -Gula perang;

*BAHAN 'B' ;

          -10 biji bawang putih;
          -Daun Bay Leaf kering;

*Masukkan kesemua bahan 'A' ke dalam botol dan goncang sebati.

Cara-caranya ;

-Letakkan kambing yang telap siap dicuci diatas meja;
-Urutkan sendi-sendi kambing tadi agar otot-ototnya mengecil;
-Tebukkan beberapa lubang di setiap sendi kambing;
-Sumbatkan bawang putih bersama daun Bay Leaf;
-Lumurkan kesemua bahan 'A' tadi dan perap semalaman;
-Sedia dibakar..

Chicken Breast Baked In A Bag

Ingredients

• 1 handful dried porcini
• 9 oz mixed mushroom, (field, oyster, and shiitake), torn up
• 1 large wineglass white wine
• 2 medium potato, peeled, sliced, and, cooked
• 3 (3 tbsp) large knobs of butter
• 1 handful fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled, and, sliced
• olive oil
• sea salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 x 7 oz skinless chicken, breasts, scored
• 1 egg, beaten

Methods

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Mix the mushrooms, wine, potatoes, butter, thyme, garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper together in a bowl; add the chicken.
3. Using wide aluminium foil, make a bag by folding 1 large (about 3 feet) piece in half.
4. Brush all four edges with egg wash and fold the foil in half again, creating a double thick bag with a closed end.
5. Fold the side edges over twice, creating two sealed edges; and leaving one side open.
6. Place mixture into the aluminium foil bag, including all the liquid, making sure you don't pierce the foil.
7. Close up the final edge, making sure the bag is tightly sealed and secure on all sides, and carefully slide it on to a roasting tray.
8. Place the tray on a high heat on the burners for 1 minute to get the heat going, then bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 25 minutes.
9. Remove from the oven, place the bag on a big plate, take it to the table and break open the foil.

udang mentega

Ingredients:

• Udang besar 8 ekor
• telur kuning (dipukul) 2 biji
• Cili padi (potong nipis) 4 biji
• Daun kari 1 tangkai
• Butter 3 sudu besar + 2 sudu besar
• susu cair 1 cawan
• bawang merah (cincang) 1 sudu besar
• bawang putih (cincang) 1 sudu kecil
• minyak masak 1 sudu besar + utk mengoreng

Cooking Steps:

1. Panas kan wok masukkan butter 3 sudu dan minyak 1 sudu besar (minyak boleh mengelak butter menjadi hitam). Masukkan telur kuning dan sentiasa kacau mengikut bulatan sehingga telur bertukar menjadi kuning keemasan dan membentuk seperti floss. Angkat dan tapis.
2. Panaskan minyak dan goreng udang sehingga kuning keemasan, angkat dan tapis.
3. Panaskan butter 2 sudu besar, masukkan bawang cincang dan bawang putih cincang.
4. Masukkan cili padi dan daun kari
5. Perasakan dengan garam dan gula
6. Tuangkan susu cair dan goreng sehingga semua rata dan kering
7. Angkat dan letakkan didalam pinggan
8. Sebelum menghidang taburkan floss telur kuning diatas udang tadi

* for the best result use high pressure stove
this is an original recipe I learned from a Chinese Chef.

Sambal Prawn With Bitter Beans (Sambal Udang Petai)

Ingredients

• 80ml / 2 3/5 fl oz vegetable oil
• 50ml / 1 1/2 fl oz tamarind juice (assam juice) - mix tamarind pulp with hot water, strain
• 1 tbsp palm sugar (gula Melaka)
• 40 bitter beans or stink beans (petai), peeled
• 1/2kg / 1 pound of medium-sized prawns, shelled
• 6 tbsp / 3 fl oz sugar
• Salt to taste
• Paste Ingredients (to be finely ground)
• 10 shallots, peeled (red onions)
• 30 dried chilies, soaked in hot water to soften and drain
• 1 tbsp / 1/2 fl oz roasted shrimp paste (belacan)
• 1 cup water

Methods

1. Heat cooking oil in a wok, add paste and stir-fry till fragrant and oil begins to appear on the surface.
2. Add in bitter beans and fresh prawns. Then pour in tamarind juice and palm sugar.
3. Cook for several minutes, add salt to taste and water to prevent burning.
4. Dish onto a serving plate when prawns are cooked.

Saddle Of Lamb

Ingredients

• 1 saddle of lamb
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups baby spinach
• 1/2 garlic
• Thyme
• Salt
• Pepper

Methods

1. Put a pan on the stove and turn the temperature to high. Coat the bottom of the pan with olive oil. 
2. Place 3 cups of fresh baby spinach into the pan and stir until soft. Add salt and pepper to the pan and cook for 40 seconds.
3. Remove spinach from the pan and place onto a plate and put in the fridge to cool. 
4. Remove the outside cover of the lamb. Remove the filet, loin and flap from the bones. Remove the excess fat and slice small cuts through the sinew. Remove the outer fat from the filet and place in the middle of the lamb loin.
5. Add salt and pepper to the lamb. Sprinkle fresh thyme and parsley over the lamb. Spread the spinach evenly over the lamb. 
6. Cut thin slices of garlic and place along the lion of lamb. Roll lion over the flap and tie together with butchers twine.
7. Season the lamb with salt and pepper on all sides of the lamb roll.
8. Heat a pan and once hot, place the lamb into the pan and seal the meat till golden.
9. Place the lamb in the oven and cook for 20 minutes at 200 degrees. When cooked, take the lamb out of the oven and rest for 15 minutes. 
10. Remove the butcher's twine and cut the lamb into medallions. 
11. Serve with creamy potatoes.

Potato Risotto With Pan-Grilled Lamb Sausages

• Sausages
• 6 large fresh lamb sausages
• Water for boiling
• 1 tablespoon Canola oil
• A handful of fresh rosemary sprigs
• Potato Risotto
• 6 - 8 large fresh mushrooms (like King Eringi or Shitake) sliced thinly
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (36 ml)
• 1 large shallot, minced finely
• A few good pinches of coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes, diced in 1/2 inch cubes
• 3 - 4 cups stock (chicken, vegetable, mushroom or water) (750 ml - 1 Litre)
• 1 cup loosely packed, freshly grated Parmigiano cheese ( 250 ml)
• A couple of good nubs of butter
• A handful of baby arugula or baby spinach, for garnish

Methods

1. Parboil the sausages for about 5 minutes in a pot of boiling water. Drain.
2. Place large pan on med-high heat. Coat bottom of pan lightly with canola oil.
3. Tear off rosemary needles roughly and toss into pan.
4. Add sausages and pan-grill till browned on all sides, turning as needed. By the time the sausages are ready, the risotto will be ready.
5. Wash and dice potatoes into small cubes. No need to peel. Put potatoes in a saucepan, cover with water. Add a sprinkle of salt.
6. Bring to a boil over high heat, turn heat down and simmer about 5 min till al dente. Drain.
7. Heat oil in heavy, medium-size saucepan over medium heat.
8. Add minced shallots, drained potatoes, sprinkle with salt, and one ladleful of stock. Cook stirring, until the stock is almost absorbed.
9. In a separate pan, sauté mushrooms in a bit of olive oil and toss gently till they're beginning to brown.
10. Continue to add your stock to potato mixture, one ladleful at a time.(Unlike the traditional risotto, the stock can be warm or cold, it won't matter) until potato is tender and creamy on the outside, about 5 -10 minutes.
11. Add mushrooms, and cheese, stir.

Lamb Chops With Chimichurri Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 Four Quarter lamb chops
• 1/2 cup thyme, chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste
• olive oil
• Chimchurri
• 1/4 cup parsley finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 onion finely chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 lemon zest
• rosemary
• Salt
• 1 tsp White Pepper

Methods

1. Preheat your grill .
2.  To prepare the lamb, season with salt, pepper, thyme & olive oil.
3.  Place the chops on the grill for 5 minutes or so, turning them every minute or so.
4.  To make the Chimchurri mix all the ingredients together.

Pitta Manwich With Lamb Kofta And Aubergine Dressing

Ingredients

• Pitta Filling
• 500g lamb mince
• 10g rosemary
• 2g cumin seeds
• 1g ground coriander seeds
• 2 cloves of chopped garlic
• Zest of 1/2 orange
• 1 x egg yolk
• 3g mint
• 4g coriander
• Black pepper and salt to season
• Pitta
• 450g strong bread flour
• 15g yeast
• 10g sugar
• 1/4 litre of warm water
• 12g salt
• Aubergine Dressing
• 2 x aubergine
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• Pinch of salt
• Pot of Greek yogurt
• 12 leave of fresh mint

Methods

1. Pitta Filling
2. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together with your hands
3. Take a handful of the mixture and shape into a sausage and then place on a skewer.
4. Leave in the fridge for 30mins then place on the grill for around 6 minutes or until coloured and firm to the touch.
5. Pitta
6. Pour the yeast, water and sugar in a bowl and leave for 10 minutes to activate
7.  In a bowl slowly add the yeast water to the flour and salt and mix into a dough with your fingers
8. Knead in one direction – stretching the dough away from you - to stretch the glutens.
9. Place in a bowl wrapped in cling film and leave in a warm place for an hour
10. Preheat the oven to as hot as it can go
11. Roll out into 90g patties and throw into the hot oven
12. Keep watching for them to blow up into a balloon and start to brown and remove – should take 6 minutes.
13. Aubergine Dressing
14. Preheat the oven to 160oc.
15. Bake aubergines in oven for 40 minutes or until soft and brown on the outside.
16. Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
17. Once cooled cut in half and scrape the flash out into blender.
18. Add the cumin, salt chopped mint and yogurt to the aubergine and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
19. Assemble
20. Cut the pitta breads in half and stuff the bottom with some fresh mint and coriander. Place a kofta into the pita and top with some of the aubergine dressing.